MINISTRY OF Communications, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA

DEPARTMENT OF telecommunications AND POSTAL SERVICES

The Rural Telecommunication Program has been initiated to provide telecommunications services to rural communities. The rural telecommunications initiative recognizes that telecommunications is a basic need for every Motswana and a catalyst for socio-economic development.  Its objective is to bring rural communities into the mainstream of society and provide telecommunications infrastructure for potential economic activity outside the major population centres.

While the program has been in existence for more than ten years, the issues and challenges encounted in the implementation of the program has prompted the government to formulate a forward looking strategy that will serve the current market demands. The strategy lays foundation for an accelerated expansion of the infrastructure and services to the rural communities in the most cost effective and logical manner possible.

The Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology has extensively consulted with various stakeholders during the development of the strategy. The Ministry takes this opportunity to thank all the stakeholders who participated and contributed towards the formulation of this strategy.

The public is invited to make written submissions on the Draft Rural Telecommunications Strategy. The strategy is the primary consultative document of the study outlining the approach to be adopted by government in relation to rural telecommunications. The significance of your input in formulating a forward looking agreed strategy for Botswana cannot be overemphasized particularly as this strategy is one of the initiatives that will implement the recently announced further liberalisation of the telecommunications sector.

The draft strategy comprises of several deliverables that were produced in the course of the implementation of the project, namely;

• Draft Rural Telecommunications Strategy 26 June 2006 - The primary consultative document of the study outlining the approach to be adopted by government in relation to rural telecommunications.
• Goals and Objectives 28 March 2006 - The report sets out the goals and objectives of the rural program.
• Implementation Strategy 26 June 2006 - The document provides recommendations on regulatory, commercial, technical and funding issues.
• Network Infrastructure Standard 25 may 2006 - This report provides the minimum standards required for implementation of the telecoms network in the rural areas.
• Program_Management_and_Monitoring 22 May 2006 - The report provides recommendations on the monitoring of the rural program to ensure long term sustenance.
• Roll out plan 25 May 2006 - This sets out the infrastructure deployment plan of the program. It also provides the current roll out plan of about 200 villages to be connected in the next phase of implementation of the program.

Any enquiries and written comments should be forwarded to the following address:

The Director

Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services

Private Bag BR280

Gaborone

Attention: Messrs E. Balebetse or C. Masiga

Email: ebalebetse@gov.bw or cmasiga@gov.bw or ken@icegate.ca

Telephone: +267 363 2900

Fax: +267 391 0033